Souji in Shimabara
by sunbune
Summary: a horribly funny episode that went horribly wrong... Talk about inevitable, over exploited and under inspired... but I'll post it anyway! rating for part 2. no lemon, but be warned: Hijikata's not being nice...
1. Chapter 1

Author's note: I actually wrote this _before_ I wrote "The Seduction of Tatsunosuke", but I never thought I'd actually type it up. It's rated M because I wouldn't want my little sister reading the second part. This first part, however, is 'M' for Mostly Mild…

**Souji in Shimabara**

PART 1

It was a sunny, peaceful late afternoon at Shinsengumi headquarters. Okita Souji was stretched out on the floor in his room, reading a book, when suddenly Hijikata came stomping down the hall. The angry vice-commander stormed past the open door to Souji's room without even a glace.

"Hijikatasan!" Souji called out brightly, putting down his book. Hijikata was three or four stomps past the door already, but he stopped in his tracks. Souji could tell from the silhouette on the paper wall that Hijikata's shoulders were hunched, which was further proof of his mood.

"_What?_" the vice-commander snarled, his voice carrying easily through the wall.

"Will you come here for a minute please?" Souji asked sweetly.

Three very reluctant-sounding footsteps later, Hijikata stood in Souji's doorway. Souji gazed up at him from the floor, blinking innocently. "Goodness, Hijikatasan," Souji said, managing not to giggle. "You look angry."

"_Toshi!_" exclaimed Kondou's voice down the hall. "There you are!"

Frowning sternly, Hijikata looked over his shoulder, and soon the commander joined him in Souji's doorway.

"Toshi, it's almost time!" Kondou said urgently. "And you're still in that old yukata-Why aren't you dressed yet?"

"Because I don't want to go," Hijikata growled. Kondou laughed and clapped a rough, wide hand on Hijikata's shoulder.

"You're so stubborn!" Kondou criticized fondly.

"Hello, Kondousan," Souji said, smiling.

Kondou looked down at him. "Oh! Hi Souji," Kondou said warmly. "Well! It seems I'm in a difficult situation. A bunch of higher-ups from Aizu are in town and throwing a big party. They invited me and both the vice-commanders as well. Unfortunately, this is all last-minute and there's no time to call Sannan away from his woman—and Toshi here is in a bad mood and says he doesn't want to go! What will the Aizu people think if the Shinsengumi commander isn't supported by _either_ of his vice-commanders?"

Souji looked up at Hijikata with a smile. "Hijikatasan," he said, "Obviously, you've _got_ to go to this party!"

"It'll just be a waste of my time," Hijikata growled.

"Supporting Kondousan will be a waste of your time?" Souji asked carefully, eyes round. For a moment no one spoke.

"_kch_!" Hijikata said at last, gritting his teeth. With a filthy, murderous glare in Souji's direction, he turned and stomped back towards his room. "I'll be ready soon," he grumbled.

"Thanks," Kondou said to Souji, after Hijikata had gone.

"No problem!" Souji replied brightly, picking up his book again.

"Really I don't know what I'd do with him if you weren't around," the commander commented, shaking his head. Souji merely smiled.

* * *

Perhaps an hour later, Sano and Shinpachi were strolling across the yard, looking aggravated. Sano had his fingers laced behind his head and a threatening scowl on his face. Shinpachi gazed straight ahead unhappily, his arms folded inside his haori. 

"rrgh… Damn that Heisuke!" Sano exclaimed at last. "Leaving us stranded again! On our first free evening in weeks!"

"You can't really blame him though," Shinpachi said, pouting like a lonely kitten. "If Yamanamisan invited _you_ to that high-class teahouse, you would've gone too."

"Well, sure, since it'd be the one chance of my _life_ to do something like that," Sano said defensively. "But Heisuke goes to those fancy places all the time! We had _plans_, and he ditched us. Damn it!"

"Calm down," Shinpachi said. "There's supposed to be three of us, right? All we have to do is find somebody to take his place. The girls won't know the difference; they've never met Heisuke before anyway."

"Yeah, but who can we ask?"

Shinpachi frowned and thought about it for a minute. "Well… how about Tatsunosuke?"

They paused for a minute to imagine Tatsu's reaction to their invitation: "_AAUGH! Nooo! I beseech you, in the name of decency, not to solicit my involvement in your immoral escapades at establishments of ill-repute!_"…

Swallowing, Sano gave Shinpachi a skeptical look. "Uh… I don't think Tatsu would appreciate it."

"Hmm… you're probably right about that," Shinpachi agreed.

"Hey, how 'bout Hajime?" Sano suggested.

"You idiot," Shinpachi said, shaking his head. "That guy is the _worst _thing you can bring to a party. He'd probably creep everyone out- and if he got drunk, he'd probably kill somebody!"

"Geez!" Sano said, exasperated. "Isn't there anybody else around this dump?"

"Hello!" Souji said, stepping down from the porch and waving to them both.

Sano and Shinpachi stared at the captain of the first squad as if they'd never seen anything quite so unsuspectedly promising. "_Hmmm_," they muttered in unison, and broad grins cracked across their faces as they exchanged a conspiratorial glance. "_That might work_!"

"Hey, Souji!" Shinpachi called out brightly. "Do you have plans for this evening?"

"Nope!" Souji replied. "Kondousan and Hijikatasan just went out to a--"

"Exactly!" Sano interrupted. "Which is why, for once, Hijikata isn't here to stop you!"

"To stop me from _what_?" Souji asked, tipping his head to one side and studying the inseparable companions. The two of them began talking very rapidly.

"We're taking you with us to a party!" Shinpachi informed him eagerly.

"A party we've been looking forward to for a long time," Sano added.

"And which we've already paid for!" Shinpachi emphasized.

"And Heisuke, that piece of shit, backed out on us--" Sano grumbled.

"Which is why we need a third guy," Shinpachi explained. "The thing is, we booked three girls, and if only two of us show up, one of those young ladies is going to feel horribly slighted, causing quite an embarrassment--"

"So put your pants on!" Sano roared, slapping Souji's shoulder with his huge hand.

"eh," Souji huffed awkwardly, rocked by the blow. He blinked a few times, looking back and forth between Sano and Shinpachi and their mischievous, bright-eyed grins. "Ah… Sanosan, Shinpatsuan… you're inviting _me_ to Shimabara?"

"Haw haw haw!" Sano laughed. "_Shimabara_? Shinpachi, he thinks we're taking him to Shimabara!"

"_Shimabara_?" Shinpachi echoed, laughing like a hyena. "No, no way, man! We're not taking you to Shimabara."

"Oh," Souji said, surprised. "Well, then, where…"

"Sanbongi!" Sano said with relish.

Souji's eyes narrowed. "The… the Sanbongi pleasure quarter." He said in a low voice.

"Exactly!" Shinpachi exclaimed. "What? It's _not _Shimabara, after all. It's clear across town."

"But-" Souji said, blinking again. "Essentially it's the same kind of place as Shimabara… and you know I never go to those kinds of places. I don't-"

"Aw, come on, Souji," Sano encouraged. "Give it a try! You might enjoy yourself!"

"You'd be doing both of us a favor," Shinpachi reminded him. "And you'd be setting a good example for the troops, and especially for the new recruits!"

Souji grimaced. "Just how is going to Sanbongi with the two of you going to 'set a good example'?"

"Because it's part of the _culture_!" Shinpachi exclaimed. "You're a Shinsengumi _Captain_! You're _supposed_ to go out and party with the rest of us—if you hold back, it looks like a criticism of the commander!"

"_And_ the vice-commander," Sano added helpfully.

"You don't think it's _wrong_ for us to let loose and party once in a while, do you?" Shinpachi asked, pouting.

"Well, no…" Souji said reluctantly.

"Good! Then you're coming with us!" Shinpachi declared.

"YES!" Sano shouted, hefting a victorious fist into the air. "This is going to be AWESOME!"

Souji sighed and hung his head.

* * *

Later that evening, Souji found himself sitting quietly between Sano and Shinpachi, wearing his best black-and-white striped hakama and a cobalt haori, his hair tied up neatly in a ponytail. 

"Helloooo!" called a happy voice as the door to the small square room slid open. The three men looked up expectantly as the three women appeared and bowed to them daintily. Souji found himself staring at them, half out of amusement and half out of curiosity. They were all beautiful, to the point of being veritably identical, except for the colors of their costumes.

"Why, if it isn't Sanosukesan!" cried the girl dressed in spring green and lavender. Her eyes sparkled with delight. "You bastard, when are you going to marry me?"

"Maybe tonight, with enough sake in me," Sano replied, grinning madly. "Now… just what's your name again?"

"Chieko," she replied, not the least bit offended. "And this is Yume…" She indicated the girl to her left, who was wearing a patterned kimono of blue and gold, and then she turned and indicated the girl to her right, whose kimono was several shades of pink. "And this is Kiku."

"You're all absolutely lovely!" Shinpachi screeched, beaming.

"Why, I remember you, too," Chieko said fondly. "Shinpach-han, isn't it?" the other two girls giggled a little. By letting their honeyed voices drawl the usual 'san' into a 'han', they could get away with addressing the short little redhead as 'Shinpat-_chan_'. But if he noticed, he didn't seem to mind.

"Correct!" Shinpachi said.

"And is this the infamously seductive Captain Toudou?" Yume asked, fluttering her eyes at Souji, who blushed in response.

"Not at all!" Shinpachi said enthusiastically. "_This_ is the infamous Captain of the First Squad, Okita Souji-sama!"

"Really?" the girls shrieked excitedly, and a frantic high-pitched babble broke out between them: "why, I heard he was a child prodigy- the deadliest swordsman of the whole Shinsengumi- look how round and innocent his eyes are!- how old are you, honey?- he can't be a minute over 20, bless his heart- I heard he killed a hundred people- I've never heard of him coming to Sanbongi before- perhaps he has a special girl reserved elsewhere? I hear that's what his commander does- oh, yes, Kondousan keeps several girls in a private house, that's what I heard!- isn't one of them pregnant, too?"

"Ladies!" Shinpachi interrupted. "Please, restrain yourselves! It just so happens that tonight is genius swordsman Souji-kun's very first visit to the illustrious, resplendent district of Sanbongi. So please show him a good time, but be careful not to overwhelm him- he's actually quite delicate."

"Aaa, soouu?" the girls chorused, blinking butterfly-wing eyelashes at him. Souji's face had gone bright red by now, and he resolved to regain his composure. If he could only think of something to say, he was sure he'd be fine.

"I- I hadn't heard about Kondousan having another child," he said at last.

"Well!" Chieko said. "Shame on us, for spreading rumors!" the other two laughed, and the sound was pleasant. Souji smiled, and felt himself starting to relax. Cheerfully he held up his sake dish as Kiku poured for him.

"You know, that's something I respect about Kondousan," Sano said, almost thoughtfully.

"What, that he has kids all over Kyoto?" Shinpachi asked, smirking, as Yume raised an eyebrow at him and poured him a drink.

"Well, sure, there's that," Sano said, sipping rather than guzzling his alcohol for once. "But I was just thinking about the fact that Kondou actually takes care of his women. You know… he cares about 'em. He's got a big ol' heart to match that big ol' face of his." Sano grinned and the girls laughed.

"I don't personally know commander Kondou," Yume said. "But I've heard he's the heart of the Shinsengumi." She smiled flirtatiously as Shinpachi poured her sake.

"The heart of the Shinsengumi?" Souji said, his eyes lighting up. "Yes, I think that's true. And then Yamanamisan, because he's so smart, well, he must be the brain."

"He _is_ way too smart, knowing all that math and history and useless stuff," Shinpachi said. "But the _brain_ of the Shinsengumi? I don't know about that. I mean, it's no secret that Hijikata is more 'in charge'..."

"That's because…" -Sano paused for dramatic effect- "Hijikata is the _balls!_ Wuah huah huah! Balls always win over brain, anyway!"

Shinpachi groaned as the girls laughed merrily. "I see it didn't take you very long to get around to talking about _balls_," Shinpachi muttered. "I thought with Souji present, you might be able to hold off until you were at least _moderately_ sloshed."

"But if Hijikatasan is the balls of the Shinsengumi, what does that make _you_, Sano-sweetie?" Chieko asked teasingly.

"The guts!" Souji supplied, smiling. "Sano-san is most definitely the guts, or just the muscle in general." He chuckled.

"And I guess the rest of us are just the arms and hands and stuff," Shinpachi added. "Souji, you can be the right hand, and I'll be the left, how's that?"

Souji nodded and smiled with his eyes closed in happy semi-circles, feeling the warmth of the sake seeping through him. Souji had a rather tentative relationship with alcohol. He didn't _need_ sake the way Serizawa had needed it, and it didn't affect him the way it affected Saitou or some of the others. Souji suspected that Hijikata and too much sake probably made a dangerous combination, but Hijikata was always careful not to get overly drunk in Souji's presence, and only got mad when Souji pointed that out. Before the Ichimura brothers joined the Shinsengumi, Souji had gotten drunk once in a while (to the immense amusement of pretty much everyone except Hijikata…). But ever since Kondou had inadvertently accused Souji of being drunk that morning in the dojo, the day he'd met Tetsu, Souji had avoided alcohol. It had hurt his feelings a little that what he considered to be his 'authentic' playfulness was mistaken for intoxication- and besides that, after that day, he had Tetsu looking up to him-- and Souji didn't want to be a bad role model.

But tonight, Tetsu wasn't around, and Souji decided that there wouldn't be any harm in getting a little drunk. And so, he welcomed the taste and the warmth of the sake, and he let the graceful girl in the pink kimono fill his cup over and over. The three friends from the Shieikan and the three beautiful girls drank and talked and laughed and teased each other, and instead of the awkwardness and debauchery Souji had expected, the 'party' was actually very relaxing and entertaining as well. Not a single laugh was forced or feigned.

The girls really did look alike, but Souji found that he was able to distinguish their personalities fairly easily. Chieko, the one wearing green, had more confidence and more intelligence than the other two, but was also more cynical. She was also sincerely attracted to Sanosuke. Yume, in the blue and gold kimono, was probably the youngest of the three, and might have been the prettiest, by a very narrow margin. She seemed both inexperienced and ambitious and was eager to prove herself, but was also nervous about overstepping her boundaries. Consequently, she never stole the spotlight, and stopped herself from making at least half of the clever comments that came to her mind—and she was focusing her attention on the least-intimidating of the three men: Shinpachi.

It was obvious that Kiku, in the pink kimono, was meant to be Souji's girl for the evening. That pleased him, since her personality was the most difficult to define of the three, and therefore, the most interesting. She was extremely attentive, charming, and she participated fluently in the conversations- but she was definitely the least talkative of the three, and the most graceful.

* * *

After perhaps two hours of talking, drinking, and flirting, there came a knock at the door, and a young girl nervously bowed to them all. "E-excuse me, sisters," she said politely. "B-but you are surely wasting too much of these fine customers' time." 

Chieko sighed. "Thank you, Harukochan," she said, and once the door was shut again, she said flippantly, "_That_ would be the proprietress's way of telling us that we better hurry it up if we're to do more than chat this evening." She smiled, and Souji was relieved to see that the expression wasn't just routine. Chieko turned to Sano and placed one slender white hand on his thigh. "How about it, Sano-sama?" she drawled. "You in the mood?"

"Hell yeah!" Sano exclaimed unabashedly. "Let's go for it, babe! Holy shit, this is the best night of my life!"

Chieko laughed. "But you said that last time, sweetie. Surely you can only have _one_ 'best night of your life', so, which is it? Tonight, or last time?"

"Uh…" for a moment this seemed like far too complex a question for Sanosuke in his present state of mind. But after looking rather cross-eyed for several minutes with the effort of thinking it over, he said, "well, _obviously_, it would be whichever one _you_ liked best," Sano told her. "So… you tell me. Which night… was better for you?"

She laughed aloud, and dragged him to his feet. "Just for that sentiment, my answer is, tonight. Tonight is the best night of your life, Captain Harada. This way." She steered him out into the hall.

"God _Damn_!" Sano blubbered excitedly. "I think I'm gonna cry!"

"oh, I can almost garuntee _that_," Chieko said mischievously, her eyes alight.

Shinpachi grinned and toasted Sano's good fortune. As if on cue, Yume took charge of the conversation and stepped up the flirtation with Shinpachi, until finally she leaned over and muttered seductively to Souji that she hoped he would be satisfied with his first Sanbongi experience, and then with a meaningful glance at Kiku, she took Shinpachi by the hand and off they went singing and laughing down the hall, leaving Souji and Kiku alone in the room.

Kiku blushed and smiled at him seductively. Souji smiled back, his cheeks glowing pink from the alcohol. "You're good at that," Souji said.

"At what, Souji-sama?" the girl asked shyly.

"At hiding your true feelings," Souji replied evenly.

"eh?" the girl asked, but quickly recovered. "I was just daydreaming a little," she murmured.

"About what?"

"Would you really make me say it?" she asked in a breathless, sultry whisper, dropping her eyelashes and reaching out her hand to touch Souji's face. "I'm dreaming of _you_," she said, running her fingers up his cheek to brush lightly at his long bangs. "You have such a lovely face."

"Thank you," Souji said. "You're quite lovely yourself."

"oh, don't be such a _boring_ liar," she teased. "I was hoping you'd talk dirty to me, at least a _little_." She pouted and Souji saw through her at last. "I mean, surely with a face like _yours_, you've seduced a hundred girls before."

"Nope," Souji said, smiling calmly. "Not even one. Not on purpose, anyway," he amended, remembering the few girls who, for inexplicable reasons, had fallen for him from time to time.

Kiku blinked at him. Was he being serious? What was…

"I only came here tonight because my friends needed a third person," Souji admitted.

"oh," Kiku said, taken aback by his honesty.

"But I did enjoy myself," Souji added, in case her feelings would be hurt. "I can see why they keep coming back, for fun and for relaxation."

"But… you hardly even got drunk," Kiku said worriedly.

"Watching those two get drunk, and just laughing with you all was good enough for me," Souji said, beaming as he studied her expression. "Is something bothering you, Okiku?" he asked softly.

"Are you actually saying… that you no longer desire my company this evening?" Kiku asked, her voice just a little rushed with disbelief.

"Well, if you'll get in trouble or anything, for, ah, being finished early, then, you could just stay and talk to me for a while," Souji said, with a vaguely apologetic smile.

The girl shook her head, confused. "You… you realize that I'm here to do anything you want, right?"

"Yes," Souji said with a definitive nod. "I realize that. But all I want… is for you to be honest with yourself. You don't really want to sleep with me."

"But- of course I do!" she insisted, aghast. "You're my customer! You're… you're even somebody famous, and even attractive, at that!"

Souji hummed a laugh, keeping his mouth tightly shut. "Do you have a boyfriend, Okiku?"

Kiku blushed, and saw there was no point in lying to the Shinsengumi captain. "Yes…" she answered at last.

"Well, I know you're not supposed to, but, instead of messing around with me, why don't you go spend tonight with _him_?"

Her dark eyes filled with tears. "It's cruel of you to joke about that," she said quietly. "_He_ can't pay me. He… he's _poor_," she hissed, as the tears began to fall, "and I h…have to earn m-money."

Immediately Souji reached into the pocket of his haori and pulled out his wallet, and before the girl knew what was happening, he was pouring coins into her hand. "There!" he said brightly.

"Wh-what?" she gasped. "Why are you doing this?"

"Because I want you to take the night off!"

She held the money out, away from herself, and shook her head. "You don't understand. I have obligations. A contract. I have another engagement tonight. You're my only, um, one-on-one customer for the evening, but after this, I have to go serve drinks at another party."

"Really?" Souji asked, his mind latching onto something. "Just serve drinks? Not sleep with anyone? You're sure?"

"aa…" she blinked, confused. "Yes, I'm sure that's the arrangement. I'm just going to pour drinks. My manager would go on a rampage if anyone took more from me than what was originally paid for… but… why do you ask?"

"Because," Souji said, reaching up with both hands to undo his ponytail. "I have an idea…"

* * *

"I'm afraid there's not enough to time to do your hair properly," Kiku said worriedly. She was wearing only a thin white yukata now, and Souji's striped hakama and cobalt jacket were nowhere to be seen. 

"Will it be a problem?" Souji asked solemnly. The girl shook her head.

"No… the party you're going to has already been going on for some time. The men there will be drunk. They won't care about your hairstyle- but at least let me do something for you with this ribbon…" Carefully the girl brushed back all the long bangs which framed Souji's face, added to them a few of the longer locks from just behind his ears, and tied them back behind his head with a silky pink ribbon for a half-up, half-down hairstyle that left only the evenly-trimmed bangs hanging over the left side of his forehead. She tied the ribbon into a beautiful looping bow and sat back on her heels to analyze her work.

She smiled. "This is so crazy, it just might work!" she said happily. "Without those long bangs covering your ears, you look like a whole different person. Turn your head a bit."

Souji complied.

"Hmm," Kiku said. "Your jaw and chin really aren't all that masculine. As for your neck, well… it's actually quite elegant. Just remember to keep your spine straight, and your chin tucked down just slightly- and just in case any of the men _are_ looking at your lovely throat, try to avoid swallowing. If you have to swallow, cover your mouth daintily with your hand, and that should hide your adam's apple too. Understand?"

"Yes," Souji said, nodding, brows furrowing slightly. He'd never given half a thought to the notch in his throat before- surely that was something only women noticed. Souji had been accused of being girly for pretty much his whole life, but he'd never been doing it on purpose, not really. But now he was actually trespassing into the world of cross-dressing, which promised to be more difficult to master than he would have guessed.

"Stand up and walk around a bit," Kiku instructed. "Small steps. Look at the floor, only at the floor. Good! Now sit down. Perfect. Never sit or stand sloppily."

"Never sit or stand sloppily," Souji repeated solemnly.

Kiku giggled. "This is fun," she confided. "Ten years of training compressed into less than an hour. But you'll be fine. You're just barely tall and gawky enough to avoid being _stunning_ as a girl. Your shoulders are fairly square… that would be the only thing to give you away. Can you roll your shoulders forward, while still keeping your back straight?" Souji slumped his shoulders forward as far as he could without compromising his posture. "Better," Kiku commented. "If that gets too uncomfortable, you should be fine as long as you keep your head inclined forward. Don't look anyone square in the eyes. If you have to look at someone, be sure you're looking _through_ your eyelashes, understand? Think _shy_ and _sly_."

"Shy and sly," Souji repeated dutifully.

"I really don't think anyone would imagine for one second that you're a man," Kiku concluded. "Now… you remember what I told you about your role at the party?"

"Of course," Souji assured her. "I'm to pour drinks, offer snacks, make cute, clever comments when appropriate, and keep your kimono clean." He beamed at her.

"Right," she said. "_Conversation_ is all I'm being paid for. If you give them anything else, it will ruin my reputation!"

"Don't worry," Souji said, laughing.

"There are other girls who _will_ be there to sleep with them," Kiku cautioned. "Distinguish yourself from them by remaining reserved and a little… aloof. Just… try not to brush up against them, and don't give them any meaningful smiles or glances. You're only there to be a pretty maid, basically… but when they talk to you, be pleasant. Don't flirt with them, but… oh, how to explain it?"

"Be amusing and sociable, but maintain my distance," Souji summarized.

"Yes, exactly!" Kiku said.

* * *

Suddenly there was a soft knock on the door. "Kikuchan?" called a quiet voice. "Are you finished in there?" 

"Yes," Kiku replied. "You can come in." The door opened and Yume and Chieko came in and sat down. Souji kept his shoulders slumped and his eyes on the floor.

"Oh, who's your friend?" Yume asked, nodding towards the tall, shy-seeming girl in the pink kimono.

"This is Kiyuchan," Kiku said quickly. "From the Ogakiya in the Nijou district.. We were friends from before, and she needed to borrow a kimono, so…"

"It's so nice of you to give her yours," Yume said. "She's got pretty skin. That color looks good on her."

Souji nodded his head in a little bow. "Thank you," he said in the softest, girliest voice he could manage-- which he knew was pretty darn girly.

Kiku smiled brightly, which didn't escape Chieko's notice. "You're in a good mood, Kikuchan," she said. "What happened to your Miburo? Both Harada and Nagakura are sleeping like babies."

"Oh, he wasn't that drunk, so, he went home," Kiku said.

"I take it he wasn't too horrible for you?" Chieko asked carefully.

"He seemed like a kind person. Cute, too," Yume commented.

"He was _very_ kind," Kiku exclaimed.

"Oh, Kiku, you're blushing!" Yume teased. "You must have had some fun. Come on, tell us about it!"

Kiku glanced sideways at Souji, who was sitting there serenely in her pink kimono, struggling to suppress his smile… "um…" Kiku stuttered.

"Come on, just say it!" Yume encouraged, giggling.

"Well- um- it's just that, you'll never believe it." Kiku stammered weakly.

"Heh," Chieko said, folding her arms. "It was supposedly his 'first time', so I'll believe _anything_."

"Well, first of all, he talked to me," Kiku admitted.

Chieko groaned. "How annoying! I hate the talkers who think they're being all eloquent and poetic."

"No wonder you favor Harada," Yume commented, smirking. "He's not smart enough to attempt anything like that."

"Exactly," Chieko said. "Harada's honest. You can trust him."

"The same goes for Okita!" Kiku insisted.

"How boring!" Yume said, rolling her eyes. "Come on, how was he in bed? Did he actually bother trying to make love to you, or was it straight to his own business and over with?"

"Um… straight to business, I suppose, but he, ah, he was really persuasive, and very gentle," Kiku said, embarrassed.

Yume laughed out loud. "Kiku, you're too cute! But that's not a very interesting story. Just wait til I tell you about Nagakura! It was _crazy!_ To start with, he wanted to-"

"uh, Sorry, Yumechan, but Kiyuchan is running late, and I promised to walk her as far as the bridge, so we better get going," Kiku said hurriedly, cutting off the excited younger girl. She grabbed Souji by the hand -her eyes flashing briefly with concern as she did so- and dragged him from the room.

She didn't let go of his hand until they were out in the street. Once he made sure that the coast was clear, Souji burst into laughter.

"_Persuasive_, am I?" Souji asked, his eyes twinkling.

"Well, you convinced me to dress you up in my kimono, didn't you?"

Souji laughed again. "This is going to be fun!" he exclaimed.

"There's something we overlooked," Kiku said worriedly. "Your _hands_. You haven't got girly hands. They aren't huge or hairy or anything, thank goodness, but try to keep them in your sleeves if you can, ok?"

"Ok," Souji said. "Now. Where do I go?"

"The Kitsuya house, in Shimabara. It's almost time for you to be on your way. Do you have any last questions?" Kiku asked.

"Um… who is the party for?" Souji asked.

"Oh, that's not important. Some lord of Aizu, I think."

"WHAT?"

"Yes, that's who it is. Some samurai from Aizu who happen to be visiting Nijoujo. I know Shimabara's kind of a far walk from here…"

Souji wasn't listening to her. Instead, he was trying not to die from a heart attack. He felt something akin to panic take hold of him. What on earth was he doing, dressed up like a girl and going to pour sake in Shimabara? He must have been ridiculously drunk, when _this_ had seemed like a good idea. There was _no way_ he could go through with it, not if Kondousan and Hijikatasan were going to be there. Even if _they_ weren't there, with Souji's calloused hands, his square shoulders, the notch in his throat, his tendency to look people directly in the eye— he would never get away with this! He had made a huge mistake. Somehow, he was going to have to explain to Okiku…

But before he could figure out exactly what to say to her, he realized that the girl had wrapped her arms around him, and was hugging him. Dumbfounded, he looked down at her.

"…_thank you_," she was saying. "This is the _nicest thing_ anyone has ever done for me. My beloved Saburosan will be so glad to see me. He's been ill lately, but I just know, if I can be there beside him for _just a little while_ to hold his hand tonight, and tell him how much I love him, it will bring him so much happiness… Maybe even enough to heal him! I'll just sit beside him until the sunrise… and I will tell him that _truly_, there _are_ a few kind people in this horrible world. So _thank you_, with all my heart!"

He felt like he was going to faint. She released him from the hug and stepped back, smiling through her tears.

"Well, good luck," she said tenderly, turning away--

And she left him standing there in the street.

* * *

Another Author's Note: beware of part 2… it takes a rather sharp turn in the Hijikata x Okita direction—but, since I'm the one writing it, there will be no lemon. NO LEMON! Which, backwards, is "no melon." Sadness… I love melon! Lately, the world's all about melons with me. And yes, I have lost my mind. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Souji in Shimabara**

PART 2

Souji looked up nervously at the Kitsuya house in Shimabara. He could hear the raucous party going on upstairs, and could even distinguish, amidst the loud, sake-slurred voices, bits and traces of the Aizu accent. He remembered Kondou's words from that afternoon:_ "A bunch of higher-ups from Aizu are in town and throwing a big party. They invited me and both the vice-commanders as well…"_

The cross-dressing captain grimaced and swallowed, wondering desperately if it was possible for _two_ groups of Aizu samurai to be visiting Kyoto separately… and then he remembered that he wasn't supposed to swallow without hiding his throat with the shadow of his arm, and he felt dizzy from dread. There was no way he could do this. There was no way…

_But people mistake you for a girl all the time!_ He scolded himself silently. _This should be no problem! Pull yourself together- it's just a joke, you're playing a prank on Hijikatasan, that's all… it'll be fun! _And anyway, there was no way he could back out now, without getting poor Kiku into worlds of trouble… steeling himself, he slipped into the building, trying his best to act like he belonged there. A flustered-looking woman met him as he was taking off his geta, and hurried him up the stairs with a tray of sake bottles in his hands.

Sure enough, Kondou and Hijikata were at the party. Souji forced himself not to look at them, and immediately got to work refilling sake dishes on the other side of the room. After a few minutes, when no one had accused him of being a man, Souji felt some of his nervous adrenaline dissipate, and found himself sneaking glances at his friends.

Hijikata looked bored out of his mind but Kondou seemed to be enjoying himself. Several girls were flirting with Hijikata, but whenever he was forced to answer them, his tone was annoyed.

"Toshiiii!" Kondou slobbered drunkenly, shaking his friend's shoulder. "Sing something for us!"

"_Sing?_" repeated the vice-commander, as if he'd never heard a more offensive word.

"C'mon, Toshi! You've got a good voice. The ladies sure would love it, wouldn'cha, ladies?" Kondou asked, beaming madly. The ladies cooed enthusiastically that they would love absolutely _anything_ that the vice-commander did for them.

"No," Hijikata grumbled, glaring at the tatami. Across the room, Souji covered his mouth with his sleeve and giggled. Spying on Kondousan and Hijikatasan like this actually _was_ a lot of fun! Everyone in the room had been partying for a while, and no small amount of alcohol had been consumed. Kondou was one of the rowdier, louder drunks, although there were a few of the Aizu samurai who had already gotten plastered.

Souji had been in the room for nearly half an hour when Kondou finally noticed him. 

Somehow Souji knew that Kondou was looking his way. And then-- "Hey!" the big-hearted commander called happily. "Hey there! You- the darling angel in pink! Yes, you! Come over here!"

_Shy and sly_, _and don't look them in the eye, _Souji reminded himself. He knew he was playing his part well thus far. Gracefully he made his way over to the fearsome Shinsengumi leaders.

"Well!" Kondou said warmly, looking him over. "You're certainly a pretty thing. Call me Isami! And _this_ is Toshi. Toshi, isn't she a pretty one?"

"Who cares?" Toshi grumbled, not even looking at Souji. It took all Souji's willpower not to laugh.

"Oh ho ho, Toshi, aren't you the friendly one this evening!" Kondou laughed, leaning on Hijikata's shoulder. "I bet I can guess your problem, Gah hah hah! You're fidgety because it's been about an hour since you destroyed that poor girl, Gwah hah hah!"

"Destroyed?" Souji asked, genuinely startled. Hijikata's face twitched at the sound of Souji's voice, but he didn't look in Souji's direction.

"Oh, don't you worry, my dear," Kondou said to Souji affectionately. "He didn't really hurt her."

"I _told_ you," Toshi said in a bored voice. "She had too much to drink. She just passed out. She got over-excited and she passed out."

"But they do that all the time, don't they, Toshi?" Kondou said, shaking his head. "I swear if I had your effect on women for just one day, I could die a happy man!" he laughed roaringly.

Hijikata grit his teeth and slumped forward, clearly annoyed.

Kondou stopped laughing and focused intently on Souji. "Oh my goodness!" he exclaimed suddenly. "I just had the strangest memory. Hey Toshi! Guess who I just remembered?"

"Your _wife_, maybe?" Toshi growled.

"No, no, no!" Kondou said, oblivious to the intended reproach. "Souji's sister! Remember Souji's sister?"

This seemed to wake Hijikata up. "Hell yeah," Toshi said loudly. "Now that's a memory I'll drink to. What a bitch!"

"She was pretty, wasn't she? And so feisty! I was in love with her. But, I forgive you for sleeping with her," Kondou said graciously.

Souji's mouth fell open. He had no idea that Hijikata and his sister had… quickly he remembered his situation and regained his composure.

"Well, thanks," Toshi said, and held his empty sake dish out towards Souji. Silently, Souji filled it for him.

"Saaa…. I wonder what brought on that old memory? Do you think this girl here looks anything like her, Toshi?" Kondou asked. Toshi glanced disinterestedly at Souji and then returned his attention to his sake.

"I think she looks more like Souji," he commented neutrally. Kondou laughed so loud it threatened to dislodge the roof tiles.

"_Haaaa!_" the Shinsengumi commander said at last, his face bright red. "She DOES look like Souji!" he reached out a large hand and patted Souji's arm. "Oh, I hope you're not offended, darling. The young man we're talking about is a very _pretty_ young man, after all." He turned to Toshi, grinning cluelessly. "Isn't that right, Toshi?"

"Whatever," Toshi growled.

"No, no, come on and admit it!" Kondou insisted drunkenly. "Souji's _beautiful!"_

"Hmf! Souji's just a twink," Hijikata snorted.

"Aw, now don't be mean…" Kondou said.

"I'm not being mean. I'm stating the obvious."

Kondou leaned forward and patted Souji's knee with a mildly embarrassed smile on his face. "Looks like there's to be no reasoning with old Toshi tonight," Kondou said kindly. "Unfortunately, without a certain someone around, there just isn't enough water to put out his fire, or something like that. I'm sorry I dragged you over here, honey. I'll bet if an angel like you were to serve drinks to those miserable bastards over there, they'd at least speak with decency in front of you, unlike this poor sod of a medicine-peddler."

Hijikata sighed and Souji sneaked a peek at his face, which, to Souji's astonishment, was just the slightest shade of pink. Souji realized that Kondou, despite being drunk, had just offered him a way out that allowed everyone to save a little face. Souji fluttered his eyelashes and bowed to Kondou with painstaking grace, muttering, "excuse me."

Once again Hijikata twitched at the sound of Souji's voice, but he only scowled and looked annoyed. Quickly Souji retreated to the other side of the room, and continued to pour drinks and chat benignly with the Aizu samurai, but he was no longer enjoying the charade. He felt guilty for overhearing Kondousan and Hijikatasan talking about him. And it made him a little sad to know that Hijikata thought his cheerful, friendly sister was a _bitch_, and that he was a …_twink?_

Souji wasn't even sure what that meant, exactly, but judging from Kondou's reaction, it had to be something pretty bad.

But as miserable as it was to feel guilty and sad, after a while he began to get a worse feeling… the feeling of being watched. And sure enough, Hijikata was staring at him. The vice-commander had dropped out of all conversations and was completely ignoring everyone around him, even the young, inebriated ladies who seemed intent on coaxing him out of his clothes and into their… arms…

Hijikata sat back, silently drinking his sake and staring at Souji, studying his every move. Souji began to feel uncomfortable, and began to seriously think about his options. He came to the conclusion that if Hijikatasan was starting to suspect his identity, it would be best for him to try and make a hasty escape. Surely it would be better for Kiku's replacement to leave the party early for a mysterious reason, than to be revealed as a cross-dressing Shinsengumi captain. But before Souji actually made up his mind to run for it, Hijikata stood up.

"I can't stand it anymore," Hijikata growled, grabbing the nearest girl and pulling her to her feet beside him. Then he looked straight at Souji, "You too," he commanded huskily. "Come with me, _now_."

"I'm very sorry, sir, but I--" Souji began to say softly-

"Shut up. You're coming with me if I have to drag you," Hijikata said threateningly. Souji realized that to resist would cause a scene that could only end in an ugly disturbance of the party. Bowing his head forward in resignation, he rose to his feet.

"Two at once!" the Aizu samurai roared, and began toasting Hijikata as their hero.

* * *

Reluctantly, Souji followed Hijikata down the hall. The vice-commander pulled open the door to an empty room and shoved the girl inside. With a soft cry she lost her balance and tumbled to the floor. 

"Not a word out of you," Hijikata warned her. "And when I open this door again, there better not be a stitch of clothing on you, understand?"

Behind him in the hall, Souji's eyes widened in fearful disbelief. The girl, however, only nodded, and began to undo the large bow of her obi, as Hijikata threw the door shut and whirled around to face Souji.

"Now, as for _you_…" Hijikata said, squinting at him in disdain. His frown deepened, and then suddenly he shoved Souji against the wall and began tearing at the front of his kimono. He pulled the collar open enough to get his hand inside, so that he could grope… nothing.

"Th- that's very rude of you, Hijikatasan," Souji said weakly.

"Nobody mentioned that my name was Hijikata," he growled menacingly, and shook his hand free from Souji's costume. "So it IS you," he breathed, clenching his fists.

Souji sighed. "All right, I admit. It's me."

"What… do you think… you are _doing_?" Hijikata seethed, barely able to contain his rage.

"Well… it's a little complicated, but, I thought it might be fun," Souji said. He smiled sheepishly.

"You thought it might be FUN?" Hijikata repeated incredulously.

"Don't be angry, Hijikatasan, there was no harm done after all…"

"That's not the point! Look at you! Dressed up like a fucking drag queen!"

Souji's smile wavered a little. "But," he said weakly, "It's not _that_ bad… I mean, you don't get mad when Yamaza--"

"Don't even _mention_ Yamazaki," Hijikata threatened. "How can you be so stupid? Or are you just that _twisted_, thinking it's fun to dress up and sell yourself?"

"Now, hold on, Hijikatasan. Of course I wasn't going to--"

Hijikata's eyes narrowed. "I've _had_ it with you," he hissed. "You were cute as a mischievous little kid. But here you are, a full-grown basket case, and this is all just a game in your sick head, isn't it? You always want somebody to hug you, to hold your hand, to cuddle you like a god-damn infant. How am I supposed to know what's really the matter with you? Grow up, Souji. Before you dress up like a _slut_, maybe you should learn exactly what a slut _is_."

"Hijik--" Souji started to say, but found himself gasping in pain instead as Hijikata reached out and grabbed him by the hair, dislodging Kiku's pink ribbon and causing Souji to stumble forward awkwardly as Hijikata pulled him into the room where the girl was waiting, sitting on the floor, completely naked. Souji glanced down at her and his eyes quivered darkly with pity. Hijikata released his grip on Souji's hair, and Souji took a few steps backwards, wincing.

"Hijikatasan," Souji said gravely, finding his voice. "You're drunk. Please let the girl put her clothes back on."

"Not until she's served her purpose," Hijikata growled. "You may be a lot of things, Souji, but you're _not _a woman and you're going to figure that out right here, right now. You're gonna give it to this girl and make her earn her money. Don't worry, she'll show you where to put it if you don't already know."

Souji only stared at him, his mouth slightly open in shock. Hijikata looked into his eyes, and was suddenly moving towards him. Souji felt threatened. He took another step backwards, but Hijikata reached out and grabbed him by the shoulder, stepping in even closer. Souji looked away, as if suddenly afraid or ashamed-- but Hijikata brought one hand to Souji's throat, and gently swept his fingers over Souji's collarbone all the way up to his jaw. Then, with his thumb and forefinger, he tipped Souji's chin up and looked down into the round, boyish face until at last the disarming violet eyes focused on him.

Hijikata sneered down at Souji. "Yeah," he half-whispered at length, "yeah, you're _beautiful_ all right. Heh!" with a snort, he practically threw Souji at the girl. Souji fell to the floor and stayed there, staring up at Hijikata.

Hijikata looked back and forth between Souji and the naked girl. "Have fun, kids," he snarled, and slammed the door behind him as he left.

* * *

Souji seemed frozen in place. 

"Hey," the girl said after a long moment, her voice soft and shaky. "I don't know what's going on, but, you better do what he says. Come on, let's get it over with."

Souji looked at her with tears in his eyes.

"What's wrong?" the girl asked. "Don't cry-- it won't be _that_ bad. Here." She scooted towards him and wordlessly began to remove his ridiculous costume. Souji, in a state of shock, allowed her to undress him just as placidly as he had allowed himself to be dressed in the kimono in the first place. Soon he was just as naked as she was-- but when the girl began to touch him, he came out of his trance and caught her hands, his expression sad but determined.

"What is it?" the girl said worriedly. "You, ah, you _do_ know what you're supposed to do, don't you?" she asked.

"Oh-- yes," Souji said, blinking. "But… I don't want to."

The girl gave an evaluative glance at the current state of affairs and raised an eyebrow at him. "At least _part_ of you obviously wants to," she teased, with the same disingenuous pout that had been on Kiku's face earlier that evening, when she had said she wanted Souji to talk dirty to her.

Souji shook his head. "I don't care about that," he told her. "You should just hurry and get out of here."

"But that man…" the girl whispered.

"He's drunk," Souji said, as if somehow that explained everything. "Please… I'm sorry that you had to get mixed up in this."

The girl searched his eyes. "What are you going to do?" she asked.

Souji shook his head again. "I don't know," he whispered. "But I'm _not_ going to do anything to you. It isn't right."

The girl locked eyes with him for another moment, and then nodded once. Quickly and silently she wrapped her clothes around herself and fled from the room.

Numbly Souji reached for the clothing scattered on the floor around him and clothed himself in the white under-kimono, and then collected his feet beneath him and sat neatly on his heels in the middle of the room, his hands clenched into fists on his thighs, his eyes closed tightly as he tried to sort out what he'd done to make Hijikata hate him so much.

Souji remembered the first time he killed someone. That night, Hijikatasan said he _needed_ him. Souji was just a little boy back then, and he remembered screaming, screaming over and over that he didn't want the power to kill, he didn't want it, didn't want it… and Souji felt sick as he wondered for the first time if Hijikatasan had tolerated his presence ever since that night because Hijikatasan _needed_ him… _to kill people?_ No. No… surely, there was more to it than that… wasn't there?

Souji opened his eyes. There were heavy footsteps in the hall, unmistakably heading towards him.

Hijikata flung the sliding door open. Souji was sitting with his back towards the door, and he didn't turn around.

"Well? What happened?" Hijikata demanded. "Where's the girl?" Souji didn't move. "Damn you, Souji, you let her go, didn't you?"

"Yes," Souji said softly, still not turning around. To his surprise, Hijikata laughed.

"Well. I can't say I'm surprised." He shut the door, and Souji frowned. "That girl was your last chance to rid yourself of your worthless innocence," Hijikata said gruffly, walking towards him. "Now I guess I'll just have to do it for you."

Souji looked up at him sharply.

"Since you're so desperate to be a girl, I'll let you see what it's like to be the next best thing." Hijikata crouched down in front of him, staring at him coldly. Souji felt his skin prickle, and he flinched as Hijikata grabbed his arm. "What, will you actually say _no_?" Hijikata murmured, squeezing Souji's arm hard enough to leave a bruise. Souji winced.

"You're hurting me," he whispered.

"That's how this works. Deal with it," Hijikata snarled, and pushed Souji over onto his side on the floor. Immediately Souji tried to get up, but two rough hands on his shoulders pinned him to the floor. "Stay on your back," Hijikata instructed. "I'm not in the mood to wrestle around."

Souji narrowed his eyes. "It's hard to believe that so many women write love letters to you, if _this_ is how you behave…"

"Oh, _Souji_. Going to turn all cunning and clever, are you? What's next after that, 'kid on a sugar high'? God, I hope not. That's better-- keep your eyes open like _that_. I want you looking right at me. You think you're the only one who can see through people? Ha! I know you've been in love with me for about ten years. Ten years! You're quite the fucked-up little homo, aren't you? Only missing the actual 'fuck' part, right? Practically begging for it right in front of everyone, and nobody ever took you up on it, did they? Well, it turns out tonight's your lucky night. I'll give you what you want."

"That's not what I want," Souji whispered. _It's never what I want_….

"What?" Hijikata grunted.

Souji swallowed. "That's not what I want…" he said a little louder. "Hijikatasan, that's _not _what I want from you."

"_Damn you_," Hijikata growled, pressing down harder on Souji's shoulders, as if he meant to push him through the floor. "What _do_ you want? You make me feel so god-damn filthy, you know that? You make me feel guilty, like it's all sin and murder and tragedy, and then, you act like it's nothing at all, and people are twigs you might snap or blades of grass you might cut— and then you make me feel guilty about feeling guilty!"

"I- I'm sorry," Souji gasped.

"_No_," Hijikata grunted, abruptly adjusting his grip on Souji's shoulders. The vice- commander hunched down, his head dropping forward, until his forehead was pressed against Souji's chest. "_I'm_ sorry." He said it so violently, so aggressively, that at first Souji didn't understand him. "I'm… sorry," Hijikata repeated in a fierce whisper.

An apology. Weakly Souji raised his arms to hug Hijikata against his chest. He knew better than to say what was on his mind: _That's not what I want from you either_.

A moment passed and Hijikata didn't move, and Souji began to suspect that the vice-commander had had a change of heart about ridding him of his innocence. Calmly, almost emotionlessly, Souji wondered if the 'innocence' he'd been clinging to, for whatever reasons, really was 'worthless' after all. He _was_ in love with Hijikatasan-- what else could it be? And, forcing himself to think seriously about it now, Souji realized that he wouldn't say no. If he was uncertain, and shied away now, how would he ever be able to face Hijikata again? Souji made up his mind.

"Hijikatasan," he said softly. "You're drunk. Let me take you back to headquarters."

* * *

Hijikata didn't say a word as Souji helped him navigate the dark streets of the city, and he made no accusations or comments when Souji followed him into his room. Souji was right about him being drunk, but he wasn't drunk enough. Even though what happened next was just a blur of warm skin and muffled sounds and sweat and darkness, Hijikata knew what he was doing and knew it was his fault, and did it anyway. 

The next morning found them still wrapped around each other, neither one completely sure why the other was there, but both of them certain that it had to be that way between them after all-- and neither of them regretting it.

"_Hijikatasan_," came the gentle voice, entirely too soon.

"Uhg, _what?_"

Souji smiled. "Are we ever going to get out of bed? It must be nearly lunch time by now…"

"I don't care. I have a headache."

"That's what happens when you drink too much," Souji informed him.

"Get away from me," Hijikata muttered, rolling to his side and pulling the blanket over his head. Souji sat up, stretched, and automatically rearranged his clothes around himself.

"I'll bring you some water and tea," Souji said, smiling down at the vice-commander. "That should help."

"…Thanks," came the reluctant reply from under the covers.

Souji made his way to the door, relieved that everything seemed normal between him and Hijikatasan. He drew back the sliding door and stepped out into the mid-morning sunlight, and realized that he felt a little happier than usual just to be alive.

Souji turned towards the kitchen just as the commander came around the corner.

"Oh! Good morning, Souji!" Kondou said, beaming. "Just who I was looking for!"

"Good morning, Kondousan," Souji said, blushing faintly. "You certainly don't look any the worse for wear—did you have a good time at the party?"

"Gah hah ha!" Kondou laughed. "Those Aizu people just don't know how to hold their liquor. Which reminds me, is poor Toshi face-down in a ditch somewhere?"

"Ah- no sir, he's in his room. Says he has a headache though- I was about to bring him some tea."

"Of course," Kondou said, nodding. "That old devil, he managed to escape before I convinced him to sing anything. But still, I'm sure he had a wild time last night."

Souji blushed a bit brighter. "A-anyway, Kondousan, you said you were looking for me?" he asked.

"That's right," Kondou said with a broad grin. An almost mischievous broad grin.

And from his sleeve he pulled a silky pink ribbon.

"It just so happens, I found _this_ in the hall at the Kitsuya house last night. And for some strange reason, I think _you_ might know who it belongs to."

Souji's mouth fell open. All he could do was stare. The ribbon fluttered a little in the breeze. "So you… you knew it was me?" Souji asked at last.

"Hmm?" Kondou asked, blinking cluelessly.

"At the party- at the Kitsuya-with the Aizu people-" Kondou dropped the ribbon into his hands.

"Saaaa!" the commander said loudly. "It sure was fun! You should've been there, Souji! Maybe next time, eh?" He clapped Souji on the shoulder fondly, winked at him, and shuffled off down the hall, humming. Souji watched him go, awed.

"By the way," Kondou said over his shoulder. "Thanks again for taking care of Toshi." There was nothing in his tone beyond his usual kindness. He disappeared around the corner, leaving a dumbfounded Souji behind. Was Kondou referring to how Souji had gotten Toshi to go to the party… or to how Souji was bringing tea for Toshi's headache, or… did Kondou know _everything?_ The leader of the Shinsengumi certainly wasn't someone to be underestimated.

Souji shook his head and smiled. Kondou and Hijikata were best friends, after all… but Souji was an essential part of the picture. The family. The relationship. Yes. That, at least, he was sure he wanted...

IT'S OVER!

* * *

Author's notes: Ok, I have tons of notes. First of all, I know you're thinking, "that's it? no sex scene?" but ...in the story when Souji says to the girl, _I don't care about that_... that was supposed to be the point. I wrote this when I was a bit disgusted with Souji for looking/acting so gay and girly, but I _don't _think that Souji's behavior is sexually motivated. If Hijikata is sleeping with him, I'm sure he appreciates that, but for some reason I don't think that sex is terribly important to him. 

anyway...the only book in English devoted to the Shinsengumi names _five_ kyoto women that had relations with Kondou, and two of those had kids that were supposedly his. Hence the comment in part 1 about Kondou having kids all over Kyoto. And I read somewhere that Sano actually married the girl who entertained him…awww! It is also an historical fact that women were always writing love letters to Hijikata. Moving on… one of my favorite scenes in the NHK drama is when Kondou gets Hijikata to sing at that party, so I threw in a reference. And I mentioned the scene in book 5 of the PMK manga, when little Souji kills that creepy _thing_, and Hijikata takes him by the hand and says, basically, "I need you." As for the ending, for some reason, PMK's Kondou strikes me as one of those brilliant genius people who've got it all figured out and who play dumb and act clueless for their own amusement. Well, that's all I've got for now. Reactions? Criticisms? Review!


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